Hardcore fans of either band will be at least tangentially aware of many of the points of comparison addressed by McMillian. But the author, who is an expert on American radicalism and has written another ’60s-focused book, Smoking Typewriters: The Sixties Underground Press and the Rise of Alternative Media in America, tackles one aspect of the Beatles vs. Stones debate you rarely see addressed: their political activism vs. the public’s perception of it.

“I thought, ‘If John loved her, there’s got to be something,” he said of Ono, whom he also called a “badass.” “He’s not stupid. It’s like, what are you going to do? Are you going to hold a grudge you never really had?”

In Not Fade Away, we take a look at the legacy of some of the greatest albums of the past few decades – some iconic, some lesser known – as they celebrate significant anniversaries. Here, we take a look at The Beatles’ debut LP, Please Please Me.